Author: paulv

PHP-KeyCodes is a is used to sell software key codes or pin numbers using PayPal or Google Checkout. The key codes are entered into the item details and when a customer makes a purchase, the first key code is removed and sent by email to the customer. This leaves the next key code ready for the next purchase. When the number of codes reach a lower limit, an email is sent to the site administrator. This functionality can be changed because code hooks are available.

The PayPal and Google Checkout ‘buy now’ buttons can be displayed in the admin interface and then copied on to your web pages.

PHP-KeyCodes is based PHP-eSeller and includes many of its features including transaction list, sales reports and email newsletter facility.

PHP-eSeller is a PHP / mySQL application that you install onto your web site and interacts with PayPal or Google Checkout to automatically sell digital files. When the customer makes a purchase, the process of delivering the files is automatic and so provides a 24 / 7 solution.

Once PHP-eSeller is purchased, there are no additional fees for the application, except fees that you pay to PayPal and Google Checkout. The purchase of PHP-eSeller is a one time purchase.

In some ways Google checkout provides a better user experience than PayPal as the key code can be displayed to the customer on their Google checkout page.

PHP-Keycodes can be used with a response handler (the code that monitors the transaction returned from Google checkout) but this requires SSL (a site that has https) or it can be used without the response handler and so your web site does not require SSL to handle the return data from Google. Without a response handler you do not get the updates of Google sales back at your web site, but otherwise it operates in the same way.

PHP-eSeller and PHP-KeyCodes can both be installed on a Windows Web Server which runs PHP and has a mySQL database. This is quite a common arrangement now, and many hosting companies provide this, enabling PHP applications to be installed on Windows Web Servers.

Both of the applications work fine on Windows servers and normally work straight out of the box installation.

The only possible issue is sending emails. Both applications need to send out emails from the server and this can be done by configuring PHP-eSeller and PHP-KeyCodes to use SMTP if the standard PHP email has not been set up. This requires minor configuration changes to the config file which means entering the SMTP host, username, password. All of these details should be available from your web site host if you donot know them.

You do not have to use the web server SMTP details, you can use an external SMTP mail service such as http://www.authsmtp.com. Sometimes, these provide a better mail service than your host and may be more reliable.